Letter: A solution to Salt Lake's pollution problem

We all are very concerned with the yearly winter inversions and the pollution they trap. I have a simple, inexpensive way to immediately reduce a large source of pollution in the Salt Lake area.

A few years ago, 700 East north of 2100 South was re-striped to eliminate a traffic lane and add a bike lane. Vehicle traffic, which used to flow efficiently, is now sluggish. My husband's commute now takes five additional minutes, all of which are spent in a short section of 700 East. It takes two cycles of lights to even cross those intersections.

I can't imagine that the pollution saved by a very few summer bicyclists compensates for the idling of thousands of cars twice a day. A common sense solution would be to funnel the bike lanes to 500 or 900 East and return the fourth traffic lane. This seems like a win-win solution based in reality.

Cars will travel more efficiently, and drastically cut down on pollution while cyclists will travel on quieter roads, breathing less pollution themselves! Since 700 East accommodated four lanes of traffic for decades, a simple re-striping will return it to the efficient and less polluting roadway it once was.

Mary Seaman

Salt Lake City